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Sunday, March 25, 2007

There is no agreement among the scholors regarding the year of birth of the great poet. No definite dates are, therefore, available regarding his birth or death. However, Vemana is believed to have lived in the later half of the seventeenth century and the first decades of the eighteenth century. He had spent the best part of his life in the Cuddapah and Kurnool Districts of Andhra Pradesh..Vemana , a Telugu poet, was a farmer by profession, Vemana was not designed to lead an easy life. He had more than an ordinary man's share of trials and tribulations, and they at once toughened and refined him into a remarkable man. His original insight and varied experiences enabled him to propound three trends in philosophy, a social philosophy, an ethical philosophy and a religious philosophy..He has composed numerous poems in Telugu in Aata Veladhi metre which consists of four lines; but the fourth line, with some exceptions, is a mere refrain or chorus in these words Viswadabhirama Vinura Vema. Vemana's style is simple and his poems deal with various social problems and they propose some solutions too. He expresses the feelings of a social reformer and many of his poems criticises and awakens the ardent followers of the old traditions..Many lines of Vemana's poems managed to become colloquial phrases of the Telugu language. All poems end with the signature line Viswadhaabhi Raama, Vinura Vema. There are also many interpretions of what the last line signifies. It is commonly believed that Viswadha was his lover and neglected other responsibilities in his youth and later realised and became a saint and poet. He is also known as Yogi Vemana..Though Vemana Satakam (literally means collection of 100 poems though he actually wrote a couple of thousands) is very famous in Telugu literature relatively very less is known about the actual poet. His poems are of many kinds, social, moral, satirical and mystic nature. All of the vemana poems are in Ataveladi(dancing lady) meter..Vemana was a kapu and native of Cuddapah district and believed to have lived in Gandikota area of the district but there is no unanimous agreement among scholars about the period of Vemana. C.P.Brown who did extensive work on Vemana in his preface to English translation Verses of Vemana states that the date of birth Vemana states in verse 707 to be Vemana's date of birth. The cyclical date of Hindu calendar coincides with 1652..YOGI VEMANA defies all labels. He is not an atheist but cannot be called a theist either, although a believer. He is part of the daily lives of the Telugu people..He did not go about preaching his ideas, but they nevertheless form part of the daily thinking of the people; again, his ideas and logic are unchallengeable but no one follows them. A poet of the people, a philosopher of equality and a fighting saint, Vemana was unique in many ways. His teachings have much contemporary relevance for he was a dreamer of one world and of the universal brotherhood of man.Vemana is a people's poet. Not formally educated, he seems to have acquired some knowledge of poetics. He could not obviously handle Sanskritised Telugu and used pure Telugu, simple and straightforward, and wrote his poetry in one particularly simple metre, Aata Veladhi..Vemana's language is chaste and crisp, his diction is limpid and smooth, his analogies fresh and bold. His poetry is a spring, pupae and spontaneous and original in thought and style. The metre chosen by Vemana for his poetry is ataveladi. literal meaning is 'A dancing damsel', and Vemana made it dance exquisitely. In his thought, Vemana is akin to Tiruvalluvar, kabir and Sarvajna. He is a bard of universal man. His conception of oneness of man is indeed so grand, so all inclusive that he urges-Serve food to all all the people of the world in one plate; make them dine together forgetting all their differences; and with uplifted hand bless them live like one..

Sample poems:Uppu Kappurambu nokka polika nunduChooda chooda ruchulu jaada veruPurushulandu Punya purushulu verayaViswadhaabhiraama, Vinura Vema.Translation: Although salt and camphor look alike, they can be distinguished easily by taste. So are virtuous people different from the normal run.

.Translation: Brass articles make more sound than gold ones on touch. So is the difference between pompous and good person...

Anagananaga raga matisayilluchunundudhinga dhinga vemu tiyyanundusadhanamuna panulu samakuru dharalonaViswadhaabhiraama, Vinura Vema.Translation: The more you sing, the more better your voice be. The more you eat, the less you detest sour. Pratice makes things perfect...Anuvu gani chota NadhikulamanaraduKochmayina nadiyu kodava gadukonda addamandu knochami undadaViswadhaabhiraama, Vinura Vema.Translation: When it is not your place or time, do not try to dominate. Hill looks like small in mirror, but is lot bigger than mirrer...Apadiana velanarasi bandhula judubhayamuvela judu bantu tanamuPedavela judu pendlamu gunamuViswadhaabhuraama, Vinura Vema.Translation: Relatives who help you in problems are real relatives. Army that is daring even at the time of war is real army. Wife that respects you even when you are poor is real wife...

Chippalonabadda chinuku mutyambayyenitabadda chinuku nita galiseBrapti galugu chota phalamela tappuraViswadhaabhiraama, Vinura Vema.Translation: The rain drop that fell in the shell becomes a diamond. The one that fell in water becomes water. It is matter of opurtunity and your fortune...

Veshabhashalerigi Kashayavastramulgattagane mukti galugabodhutalalu bodulina talapulu bodulaViswadhaabhiraama, Vinrua Vema.Translation: Wearing saintly dress is less important than your actions. Similarly by cutting a widow's hair does not change her thoughts...Cheppulona rayi chevilona jorigakantilona nalusu kali mulluintilona poru nintinta gadayaViswadhaabhiraama, Vinura Vema.Translation: A stone in shoe, a fly near ear, pollen in eye, a thorn in finger are painful. So is the fighting with wife...Tappulennuvaru TandopatandambuLurvi janulakella nundu tappuTappulennuvaru tamatappu lerugaruViswadhaabhiraama, Vinura Vema.Translation: There will be lot of people who find faults with others. Every one has faults. The people who show fingers at you do not see their faults.

A lovely job I amazed how ever Vemana hails from Kataru palli of Cuddapah district a border village of Cuddapah and Ananthapur He has spent much of his time in Siddhavattam TQ of Cuddapah district. Kataru Yamaiahs' dissidents of vemana family were visiting Cuddapaha and other villages distinctly clad of yellow (lemon yellow} on horse back with drums locally known as Tappeta marking his visit. Now they are hardly seen.